Welding fumes research study: Call for volunteers!
Researchers from the University of Sydney and Curtin University are conducting a research study on welding fumes. The study aims to increase the understanding and awareness of workers’ exposure to welding fumes, the harms associated with this exposure, and how this exposure can best be prevented. One part of the study involves carrying out exposure monitoring of workers and workplaces in the welding industry to look at the type and level of exposure to welding fumes in Australian workplaces.
The exposure monitoring will be undertaken by Occupational Hygienists from Work Science and will include capturing air from the worker’s breathing zone to sample for airborne particles and fumes from welding. The information we collect from the occupational sampling will provide a better understanding of the type and level of exposure to welding fume in Australian workplaces and help us to better understand ways of preventing and controlling exposure.
To undertake this work we are looking for workplaces which employ people who currently weld as part of their job. You can help by responding to this email and expressing your interest in participating in the exposure monitoring at your workplace. We can discuss the study with you and send you the Participant Information Sheet and Participant Consent form. We expect that exposure monitoring would take place over a work day (between 4-6 hours of a worker’s shift). Participation in the exposure monitoring is voluntary and workers and worksites can withdraw at any time.
If you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact:
- Renee Carey, Project Manager, Senior Research Fellow, School of Public Health, Curtin University: [email protected];
- Tim Driscoll, Project Lead, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney: T+61 2 9351 4372, [email protected]; or
- Kamil Abdallah, Research Officer, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney: [email protected]